As training camp approaches, Calgarypuck will take one final look back at the
season that was by looking into a variety
of stats and a more detailed analysis of the Calgary Flame's players.
This week's feature deals with hitting, it's frequency of
occurrence and the Flames leading bangers.

Statistics can be a very valuable tool in assessing the
performance of an athlete or sports team. Often however, the statistics
that are available are too flat, offering little analysis beyond the
actual numbers. For example it's easy to determine who led a team in
points, but sometimes it's more interesting to find out who led the team
in points based on other factors like games played, and ice time. In
doing so, a reader can determine who did the most with limited ice time,
and conversely, who did the least with ample ice time.

In the past Calgarypuck.com
has used these "time between" numbers to look at the
performance of the team through the season. With camp just around the
corner, a camp which will feature many new faces, applying the same
formulas will give us a look at how these new players fit with the
current squad in many statistical categories.

Though hitting statistics aren't the only determinant of physical play, a peek
at the changes in hitting numbers may give some insight into what type of team
fans can expect this season. Will the bone crushing play of Jason Wiemer be
replaced, or are the Flames still needing toughness up front? How does Bob
Boughner fit into the defence core in terms of body contact?

Hitting

Denis Gauthier has been the
Flames "hit king" for a number of seasons. The hard hitting
defenceman has been on the side lines for almost a third of each of the
past two seasons, due in part to his hitting nature. His totals would
rival league leaders if he managed to play a full season.

Over the summer the Flames
moved the team's leading hitter up front, Jason Wiemer. It's interesting
to look at how the new faces fit with the team in term's of body
contact.

It appears the 2001-02
Flames might be a much more physical squad.

Player

Hits

Denis Gauthier

252

Robyn Regehr

171

Bob Boughner

171

Rob Niedermayer

149

Dave Lowry

121

Craig Conroy

117

Dean McAmmond

117

Clarke Wilm

111

Jarome Iginla

99

Dwayne Hay

92

Two of the players acquired
by Button this summer would have sat in the team's top five in overall
hits; Boughner with 171 and Niedermayer with 149. Jason Wiemer, who was
traded to Florida in the Niedermayer deal had 143 hits last season, six
less than the player he was trade for. Overall the Flames appear to have
taken a step up on the punishment scale.

On the noncontact end of the
team's list Phil Housley brought up the rear for Flames defencemen, only
throwing a hit 25 times last season. Val Bure finished last
for the forwards with more than 20 games played. He had 21 hits for his
season total. With Phil Housley put on waivers yesterday, and Val Bure
moved this past summer, it appears the Flames have added to the top while
subtracting the bottom of the scale. This should make for a more rough and
tumble overall squad.

A more interesting look at
hits can be accomplished by finding a time duration between each body
check for each player.

Player

Time/Hit

Denis Gauthier

4.02

Dwayne Hay

4:35

Ronald Petrovicky

5:08

Bob Boughner

5:54

Robyn Regehr

8:17

Chris Clark

8:21

Jeff Cowan

8:41

Dean McAmmond

9:03

Rob Niedermayer

9:07

Clarke Wilm

10:10

Denis Gauthier, to no one's
surprise, led all the Calgary Flames with just over four minutes of time
between stepping into an opposing player. Given that Gauthier played
close to 24 minutes per night down the stretch last season, that would
work out to roughly six hits a night, quite a number when you think a
player like Bure only had 21 in a season.

Imagine a season where Denis Gauthier plays 80 games at an average of 20
minutes per night? That would translate into a staggering 400 hits for the
season, 27 more than league leader Zdeno Chara last season.

Dwayne Hay finished second
with 4:35 between his hits, followed by Ron Petrovicky, the newly
acquired Bob Boughner and Robyn Regehr. Jason Wiemer would have been in
the team's top five as he had 6:11 between hits last season. Two new
forwards, Rob Niedermayer and Dean McAmmond had 9:03 and 9:07 between
their hits.

Val Bure had over an hour of
ice time before throwing a body check, coming in at 69:53. Tommy Albelin
was last in terms of defencemen with 58:45 between his hits.

Steve Begin in his short
stint in Calgary actually led the team, having only 3:14 of duration
between his hits, but was excluded due to his total of games played.

The Flames likely group of
forwards for the upcoming season average 12 minutes of ice time between
hits. Or in other terms, the average Calgary Flame forward will throw a
body check every 12 minutes. The top seven defencemen average just over 20
minutes between
hits.

Summing It Up

Overall it appears the Flames will be a much more physical team when they hit
the ice October 3rd against the Edmonton Oilers. Three of the least physical
players on the team; Val Bure, Tommy Albelin, and Phil Housley have all moved
on or will be moving on in Housley's case, while more physical players have
been added in Rob Niedermayer, Dean McAmmond and Bob Boughner. A second wave of
contact play can be expected from Saint John with the likes of Steve Begin,
Rico Fata and Ron Petrovicky seeking full time duty this fall. The Flames may
struggle to score goals this season, but it doesn't look like they'll lack in
the hitting department.